Glass rolling means



June 19, 1934. Y BRANCART l,963,486

GLASS ROLLING MEANS Filed July 28, 1932 //////////////////////////////////A O O O YVON BRANCART INVENTOR ATTORNEYS i 30 cable, a

Patented June 19, 1934 PATEN'T' OFFICE UNITED' STATES Application July 28, 1932, Serial No. 625.273 In Germany August 7, 1931 This invention relates to the manuracture of plate-glass and like glass plates, having a surface !ree from waves or undulations.

To obviate the formation in the surface ot plate-glass of waves due, more particularly, to unequal contraction of the two sides oi the plate it has been proposed to roll the glass shortly after casting the same and whilst still plastic upon the table, with an impressing roller adapted to form o in the surface thereoi slight depressions and projections which the heat contained within said metal causes ultimately to subside and' to disappear. It has likewise-been proposed to roll glass with a roller having a higher circumierenu tial speed than i! it were merely rolling over the glass.

It has been found however, that glass wholly. !ree from waves cannot always be obtained by such means. My invention is based upon observation oi the fact that, in known processes, waves are iormed in the surface of the glass owing to the roller being jerked by the gears o! its driving mechanism,ior instance when the well-known rack mechanism is used. or by said rouer grinding and chattering upon the surface when driven thereover at a circumferential speed greater than i! it were merely rolling thereupon. said grinding and chattering arise even when the roller is continuously driven, as through a chain or helical gearing, i'or example.

According to my invention, to remove the causes of said superilcial waves I use an impressing .roller driven at a circumerential speed slightly greater than would result i! it were merely rolled over the glass, and I provide said roller with trunnions so supported above the casting table that the table does not contact directly with the roller or with said trunnions. The imi pressing roller thus is enabled to act on the glass 40 with perfect uniiormlty.

To support the roller trunnions Imay use bearings, similar to some bearings for calibrating i rollers for example, having casters adapted to rest and travel upon the edges of the casting table. I thus obtain a` periectly uniiorm action of the impressing roller, ensuring the subsequent disappearance o! the marks temporarily made thereby in the glass and resulting in an even surface which requires no reduction by grinding or smoothing.

My invention therefore likewise extends to apparatus comprising an impressing roller, a casting table, a continuously driven transmission adapted to rotate said roller at circumrerential u speed greater than i! said roller were merely rolled over the table, trunnions at the ends ot said roller, and bearings adapted to support said trunnions, said bearings being provided with casters adapted to rest and travel upon the edges of the casting table or upon tracks integral there- ,oo

with.

In one constructional embodiment oi! my invention, the casting table may be movable relatively to the roller, said roller being driven by a cable wound round the same or. passing over og a pulley integral therewith and each end of said cable being secured to one end ot said movable table. The roller may then be rotated by means ot the traversing motion oi' the table itself. zo

In the accompanying drawing, illustrating diagrammatically and by way o! example two constructional embodiments of my invention wherein transmission is by cable, t

Fig. 1 is a` side view of a 'glass-rolling apparatus 7 wherein the casting table is movable relatively to the printing roller, and r Fig. 2 illustrates my invention as applied to a case wherein a movable roller traverses over a stationary casting table. i

In the figures, 1 is the casting table and 2. the rough faced impressing roller whereot the trime nions 2' are supported in anyconvenient manner at an appropriate distance above said table, as y by bearings 10 testing upon the edges of casting 35 table 1 through casters 11, tor example.

In the embodiment illustrated in Fig. 1, the table 1 moves along a rolling track 3 and thus carrles beneath roller 2 themass ot glass which said roller is to spread into the form of a plate whilst imprinting therein the striae or other patterns adapted to obviate in a known manner the iormation ot longitudinal waves in the surface thereot. To iulfll this dual function the roller must revolve around its longitudinal axis, and it is so rotated by means of a cable 4, wound round a' pulley 5 keyed to the roller and having either end secured to the corresponding end ot casting table 1. It will be obvious that when table 1 is caused to move in the direction of the arrow a the roller 2 will revolve continuously in the direction oi'the arrow b, that the method whereby trunnions 2' are supported and the cable is wound continuously round pulley 5 will obviate all jerks in the rotation of the roller, and that no transverse undulatlons or waves can be formed in the surface of the glass plate under-going rolling.

In the alternative embodiment of my invention illustrated in Fig. 2 the casting table is stationary, and roller 2 must thereiore be moved relau tively to the same whilst being rotated. Roller 2 is rotated by means of an endless cable 8 wound round pulley 5, integral with the roller, and round two end pulleys 7 and 8 whereof one or other is driven, and it is moved relatively to the casting table by means of a stationary cable 9 whereof a loop is likewise wound mund pulley 5. Whilst being revolved by the pull of cable 6, as

' indicated by arrows c, d, the roller winds itself 'tional embodiments or combinations of members might likewise be adopted.

By an appropriate selection of the diameter of pulley 5 relatively to that of roller 1 the circumferential speed of the latter may be accurately adjusted to be slightly greater than if it -rolled in' contact with the casting table, so that said roller slightly drives the glass towards the forward end of the cast plate whilst revolving.

My invention is not of course limited to the use of cables or beits for transmitting motion to the impressing roller. Without departure from the scope of the invention. said roller might be traversed over the casting table by means of a wonn and nut or by hydraulic plungers, and be v rotated by means of a worn and wheel or by helical gears. said transmission members adapted to provide continuous drive may be combined in a great number of ways which are too well-known per se to require any description in detail, my inventlon only being limited in regard to principle and scope by its main features, as set forth in the following claims.

I claim:

l. Appaatus for rolling and imparting a finished smooth surface to plate-glass and glass plates, comprlsing the combination, 'with a cast'- smoothly and uniformly revolvi'ng said roller in order to cause the same to smoothly traverse the glass upon said table and temporarily impart slight depressions and projections to the surface of said glass in order to finally produce a smooth condition thereof which is free from waves and other superficial flaws.

2. Apparatus for rolling and imparting a flnished smooth surface to plate-glass and glass platejs. comp'ising the combination, with a casting table, of a rough roller having unequal portions on the peripheral rolling surface thereof and rotatably supported above said table in spaced relation thereto, means for causing relative movement between said roller and said table, and smoothly and continuously Operating' gearless transmission means uniformly rotating said roller at a noticeably greater speed than 'would result from normal traction ofthe roller upon the surface of the glass in order to cause said roller to smoothly traverse said glass and temporarily impart slight depressions and projections to the same in order to finally produce a smooth condition thereof'which is free from waves and other superficial flaws.

a 3. Apparatus for rolling and imparting a finished smooth surface to plate-glass and glass plates, comprising the combination, with a casting table and a rolling track to support the table, of a rotatable rough roller spaced in stationary position above said table and having unequal portions upon the peripheral rolling surface thereof, there being trunnions at the ends'of the roller, a-pulley rigidly associated with said roller and' having a relatively smaller diameter than the same, bearings carrying said trunnions, casters supporting said bearings and resting upon the longitudinal ed es of the table. a smoothly and continuously Operating means in the form of a flexible transmission member wound around said pulley and secured at each end to a corresponding end of said table, and means for moving said table beneath said roller in order to move the glass on the table with respect to the roller and simultaneously rotate said pulley by 120 means of said flexible transmission member and thereby uniformly rotate said roller at a noticeably greater speed than would result from normal traction of the roller upon the surface of' the glass, for the purpose of causing said roller to 125 smoothly traverse said glass on said table, relatively speaking, and temporarily impart slight depressions and projections to the same in order to finally produce a smooth condition thereof which is free from waves and other superflcial :30 flaws.

i YVON BRANCART. 

